Plot and Structure: How to Use Structure and Subplot to Add Suspense

Plot and Structure: How to Use Structure and Subplot to Add Suspense

You can’t write a great story if you don’t master plot and structure. But what is the best structure for a novel? How do you plot a novel?

Figuring out your plot and structure is essential for your story’s success. Even if you have an exciting idea for a story, great characters, and a memorable setting, you need to put your protagonist through events that have high and escalating stakes.

Without a sound plot and structure, you won’t thrill your readers. Today, we’ll look at story structure and learn how you can build an effective plan for a story packed with suspense, with all the right twists in all the right places.

TED Talks for Writers: 6 TED Talks That Will Revive Your Storytelling Spirit

TED Talks for Writers: 6 TED Talks That Will Revive Your Storytelling Spirit

Looking for a boost in your creative writing? We all need something to rekindle our love of story. These TED Talks for writers might be just the inspiration you need.

In your work as a writer, have you ever succumbed to the pity party? Why am I laboring away at something only a handful of people will ever read? Why am I spending all my time on something no one else cares about? 

If you’ve been doing it long enough, you’ll have had those moments of doubt. My intention with this article is to provide help and inspiration to push through those barriers and restoke the fires of determined storytelling.

What I found in my forays for fuel to ignite that flame met—and exceeded—my expectations, reaffirming one of the fundamental truths I hold most dear: there is extraordinary power in story.

Dramatic Irony: A Great Literary Device That Adds Suspense to Your Story

Dramatic Irony: A Great Literary Device That Adds Suspense to Your Story

Do you remember the first time you read Romeo and Juliet? Did you cringe when Romeo kills himself, knowing that Juliet is still alive? This is a perfect example of how to use dramatic irony in your story—a literary device that will inevitably add suspense into your novel. 

Dramatic irony can be used in any story regardless of genre, but it is especially useful when writing stories that you want to increase tension and suspense. 

In this article, you’ll learn about dramatic irony, another useful technique that keeps readers on the edge of their seats.